Lucky Spot Leadership Academy Boasts Free Haircuts

The Lucky Spot Leader Academy & Barbershop has rapidly expanded nationally over the last decade. Now, the company has introduced the Lucky Spot Leadership Academy and offers free haircuts.

When I first came to Charlotte in 2013, I attempted to look for various businesses to find to visit. I have two boys and one of the first things I needed to find was a barber for haircuts. I was able to connect with Dana Sidberry who at the time, handled all things public relations for The Lucky Spot Barbershop. Now, of course, Sidberry has a bigger role with the company, but she first introduced me to the owner, Shaun Corbett. When Corbett opened The Lucky Spot Barbershop, the biggest focus was on his community. He wanted to also target assisting those being released from prison. When someone is a felon, it can be very difficult to get a job. The Lucky Spot Barbershop, originally on North Tryon, has now expanded nationally and the Lucky Spot Leadership Academy now offers free haircuts with the academy.

I know you're thinking how can someone offer free haircuts? Easy. You have a heart to help the community, a want to see your community thrive, and most of all you just do it. For owner Corbett, the leadership academy isn't about the money. Giving free haircuts is easy, but the impact Corbett and his team have been able to make on the community is bigger than any free haircut you could offer. I recently had an opportunity to visit the new Lucky Spot Leadership Academy and I can't lie. It was awesome to not only see this program in existence, but I was around when the barber school/leadership academy was a dream, and now it's a reality.

The Lucky Spot Leadership Academy is located at 2103 N. Graham St. suites D&J. The academy is located in the heart of Charlotte. Located minutes from Uptown Charlotte next door to Camp Northend.

Corbett developed a passion for being a barber around the age of 13 years old. Corbett kept that passion in his heart that he had as a child as an adult and opened "Lucky Spot Barbershop" and has sustained a successful business for at least 12 years and counting. I met Corbett after attending a "Cops and Barbers" event right here in Charlotte. I was amazed at this event because Shaun created a partnership with now Sheriff Gary McFadden. The partnership was designed to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement to deliver a type of "community policing" that was unparalleled and never before seen by me. This transcended into Corbett being invited to the White House and also being named "Charlottean Of The Year" by Charlotte Magazine in 2015.

In 2019, Corbett sought to expand his business even more and stepped into the franchise realm. Corbett had already taken haircuts to a new level and with this new venture, haircuts had an entirely new meaning. Corbett became the first African-American-owned barbershop to be located inside any Walmart worldwide. That is such a major accomplishment. To date, Corbett has locations inside Walmart stores in at least three states with an expansion goal of 100 barbershops by 2030.

I received an opportunity to visit the Lucky Spot Barbershop Leader Academy and was able to find out that the academy offers free haircuts. Of course, the students accept tips, but this is awesome. At a time when income may be low for some and with a steadily rising cost of living, free haircuts are an amazing offer for the community. Shaun Corbett has always been all about moving the needle in his community in a safe, progressive way and he has embodied that within the culture of his businesses as well. I take my two boys often to The Lucky Spot Barbershop and I have enjoyed being a client.

With the holiday season in full gear, it should be no surprise that footwear is one of the hottest items to buy. Google says And not just any footwear -- the sneaker game is booming. According to statista.com, the sneaker industry is booming, valued at $21 billion in the U.S. And while the popularity is there, Black-owned sneaker brands still don't get their just due.

For example, when researching to write this blog, it did not surprise me that the big-named sneaker brands still lead at the top. Consider when you think of a sneaker brand, what's the first one that pops in your head? Nike? New Balance, or Converse? None of these are black-owned, though they attract millions of Black consumers.

Even the most popular athletes, celebrities, and influencers aren't wearing sneakers owned by Black folks, but can we blame them? I say not, as most Americans don't even know where to go to find Black-owned sneaker brands. With a little help from Google, I researched to find these eight Black-owned sneaker brands in the U.S.

And what I like about these brands is the diversity in design and boldness in colors. Some of them even look like statement pieces. They tell a story and challenge the average. Check out these eight Black-owned sneaker brands that may perhaps make someone's holiday a bit more inspirational.

This brand was designed by Olympic Gold medalist Allyson Felix. She designed them for women she says because 'Women Deserve Better.'

The Fini sneaker brand is for the fashion-conscious consumers. It's brand is built on providing foot apparel that is unique and affordable.

If you're a runner and/or enojoy long endurance workouts, then this running shoe brand is made for you.  The shoes have a built in mesh, but are firm enough to provide for extra support for your ankle. Across the board, it's considered one of the best in  Black-owned workout footwear.

Based in New York, these sneaker brand is in the category la creme de la creme. It is considered luxury footwears.

With this brand, you get the best of both worlds. You get a top-tier design along with high-quality production. And then there's the commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Creatively designed straight out of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia these innovative footwear is designed for maximum performance, comfort & style. 

Founded by the first female football player to own a sneaker company, Santia Deck, TRONUS offers limited edition styles and unique packaging.

This is the first social footwear brand to come out of Africa. It specializes in sizes that range larger than your average sneaker brand with designed for those who don't mind standing out in a crowd.